Shot cartridge



Jan. .4, 1927.

1,613,143 E. M. SWEELEY SHOT CARTRIDGE Filed Jan. 12, 1924 Patented Jan. 4, 1927.

UNITE .EVERETT M. S'WEELEY, OF TYVN FALLS, IDA-HO.

SHQT CARTRDGE.

Application filed January 2, 1924. Serial ITo. 685,830.

The general object of -my invention is to improve the construction and action of loaded shot shells, and to reduce and control the forces set up in the shot column in firing which cause the pellets to separate from each other in flight.

More particularly st-ated the separation of the pellets comprising the shot charge after they leave thegun barrel in fiight is caused in large part by the action of forces set up in the shot column by the powder-drive in firing. The individual pellets are round, hard, and somewhat resilient, so that a force exerted against a. mass of them where they are not free to move results in packing the mass tightly and in compressing the individual pellets.

The shot column is confined and cannot move radially under the influence of the powder force, and compaction of the mass and compression of the individual pellets results. lVhen the shot leaves the barrel the expression of the force so set up is no longer restrained, and separation takes place.

There is commonly used a wad column composed of some material which is somewhat yielding and elastic. such as felt or cork, and which is supposed to act as a cushion to soften the effect of the powder-drive upon the shot column, and so reduce the compaction and compression. The time of action in ring is short, and the powder and shot in the load require considerable space so that the amount of cushioning provision is necessarily limited. The beneficial results obtained from the use of soft wadding has been found to be due not alone to the cushioning effect, but results in some part from the fact that the wads, being soft, yield to and are indented by the shot, when the powder drives the wads against the base of the shotcolumn, and that the resistance of all parts of the shot column base is not equal, so that parts having the greater resistance indent the wads more deeply than other parts, and this results in a relative movement between different parts of the shot column. This movement as between the parts of the shot column aids in avoiding compaction of the charge and in relieving the compression of the individual pellets, and to this movement some of the beneficial result is due.

There are certain defects in the use of the soft wad column. lt gives most at the point where the greatest resistance is shown by the shot column and as this does not develop atvthe same part of the shot column base in each shot a variance is to be found in performance. The result is .dependent upon the material used, and its characteristics may be changed somewhat in manufacture, or be affected by the moisture content or temperature. This makes an element of uncertainty as to the load action.

I overcome these disadvantages by providing a means whereby the desired relative movement in the shot column is forced to develop at the same point of the base in each shot, and the amount is provided for and controlled. This is accomplished by the use of a recessed, relatively thick, re-formable wad of resistant material in which there is provided on the side toward the shot charge a central cavity or hole of the desired shape and depth, out of which the shot is held by another shot supporting wad. The annular wad is rigid in character, and is so fashioned as to compel reformation of another member through which the effect upon the shot column is induced. Vhen liring takes place the central 'portion of the shot supporting wad is forced back into the hole or cavity of the annular resistant wad, thus causing a movement of the central portion of the shot column relative to the outer portion, and produces a sort of wedge action against the edge of the hole or cavity in the relatively rigid annular wad. In this way the point where the movement is caused is fixed. and the amount of the movement provided for. The hole or cavity in the wad is parallel with its periphery. lhen the shot is fired the hole is compressed into approximately conical shape.

The preferred arrangement is set forth in the drawings.

Figure l is a longitudinal central section, partly in elevation, of a cartridge embodying my invention.

Figure 2- is a similar view showing the action after firing.

Figure 3 is a detail view of the yielding wad.

The yielding wad 4 is made of a size to permit of easy insertion in the shell in loading and is preferably made of paper, although other yielding fabric may be used. The hole or cavity is generally punched out of the wad as it isV made.

In Figure l the yielding wad and shot supporting wads are shown in position as loaded, 1 being a shell having the usual primer; 2, the powder charge; 3, the powder wads to hold the powder gas behind the charge of shot; 4, the yielding wad with the cavity facing the shot charge; 5, the shot base wad; 6. the shot charge; 7, the Closure wud, and 8 the crimp or turnover.

In Figure 2 the action that takes place on firing` is illustrated. The central part of the shot column 6 is shown to have forced the central part of the supporting wad or shot base wud, back into the hole or cavity in the yielding' wad 4, causing :i relative movement between the central and outer parte of the shot column 6. The supporting or base wad 5 for the shot may be a Hat 15 cardboard disc, such as is frequently used in loading shot shells.

I claim A shot cartridge having a primer, powder and shot charges, a reformable relatively l0 thick annular rlng wud of resistant material between the powder and shot, a relatively thin re-ormable imperforate yielding shot wad lying between the shot and ring wa and an imperforate non-reforinable powder 25 wad between the powder and the ring wad.

EVERETT M. SVEELEY. 

